If I Lie... Part Deaux

Part two

I got to thinking about what would happen if there were immediate results to lying? If we really did stick needles in our eyes I bet honesty would make a comeback-- big time! The fact is there are not immediate consequences for falsehoods and that makes it easier to fall into the trap. I call it a trap because none of us really intend to lie-- it just comes out. We lie …to make ourselves look better to others…even many churches do this: instead of saying we have 420 in worship…we say we have nearly 500! We lie about how much something cost…and it depends on who we are talking to whether we lie high or low! We lie to get out of trouble. I am an only child and I remember the times I told my mother I didn’t do something when I was the only one in the room. (Lying sometimes goes along with not being very bright in my case!)

Lies.Each time I type the word lie, it sounds uglier and uglier. We don’t like that word…so we say things like: stretching the truth…or being creative. We change the name because we think if we call it something else, it will be something else…but Shakespeare said it best, “A rose called by any other name would still smell as sweet.” Lying called by any other name is still not the truth!

It gets even worse when we lie to ourselves…that is called “justifying!” We know we should not participate in something or that we shouldn’t go a particular place but we begin to lie to ourselves to make it all better! We say, “God will understand…or this is not as bad as …” Or maybe we lie to ourselves about why we don’t spend time with God personally or corporately…”I am just too busy to have a quiet time, “or “I need to sleep, Sunday is my only day off..God will understand.” Will He? Hmmm. We lie to ourselves by saying well things are different now…that’s an old fashioned idea! When we really think about it…we shouldn’t participate in some things…we really do have time we have just filled it with something else…and God wants us to have corporate worship for our good… God is the same yesterday, today and forever! We have lied to ourselves and have begun to believe our lies. Before long we are not even aware of the untruth…it becomes our excuse for sinful behavior.

When we begin to believe our own lies then we begin to disbelieve God…we begin then to believe what the world says about God…because it is easier…because we think it makes us feel better…but does it? Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” Maybe that is why our confession time in our prayers is so short…we no longer think we have done anything wrong…we have lied to ourselves. But truth brings freedom!

So, what is the answer? Jesus. The one who said, I tell you the truth…the one who said He was truth…the one who cannot lie…the one who said He loved us…the one who sent the Holy Spirit to guide us to all truth. Confess that you want to be a person of integrity for His glory. Ask Him to help you be a truth teller…He will!

Imagine a world where Christians told the truth…all the time. Think it would make a difference? I do. I am going to do some straight talk to myself about my “excuses” then I am going to Him to get cleaned up. Putting my needles away until I need to sew something!!!